. . . each [piece] is strikingly unique. I listened and took notes on all 27 pieces, and my observations varied wildly. Here is a sampling: "hypnotic and minimalist; rhythmically driving and complex; a tonal, beautiful melody; sirens and Psycho; busy and fast; fly buzzing; bluegrass language; mournful and throbbing; fast syncopation; Eastern and slide-y; deranged mental patient; melodic, as in a movie score."

Interview /
Laurie Niles,
Violinist (Blog) / 11. November 2013

One of the great albums of 2013 . . . It tries to revive the old tradition of the crowd-pleasing concert-topper in 27 new ways, with the more-than-able help of pianist Cory Smythe . . . there is much to love in this music. Although each piece is by someone else, the project itself is imprinted with Hahn's own personality: open, curious, collegial and unpretentious.

Interview /
John Terauds,
Musical Toronto / 13. January 2014

. . . the short works emerge as pieces worthy of placement at the top of a concert program rather than as encores. With such varied and distinguished composers . . . the project also serves as a useful sampler of contemporary composition.

Interview /
David Knowles,
Strings (San Rafael) / 01. March 2014

. . . far from feeling like a disparate collection of miniatures, something seems to unite them all. And when you look into it, that something feels like nothing more nor less than the nurturing enthusiasm for the whole project of Hahn herself . . . no one can question this violinist's advocacy of the genre, or doubt her passionate commitment to "showing that the short piece is an art that should not be forgotten".

. . . [Hahn's new encores] brim with personalities as unique and varied as their composers. Somei Satoh's "Bifü" flows with long lines and a rippling piano, while Avner Dorman's "Memory Games" pulses ever forward with staccato notes that break suddenly for a reflective finish . . . [Elliott Sharp] closes "Storm of the Eye" with a terrific imitation of guitar feedback . . . [Mason Bates] pairs folksy, slinky double stops with pizzicato for a pleasantly surprising hoedown in "Ford's Farm". Hahn brings these myriad personalities to life with the élan of a seasoned character actor, armed with technique, timing, color, wit and guts.

. . . this album is magnetic -- in Hahn's playing as well as in the diversity of excellent pieces written for her . . . intense focus and enthusiasm -- coupled with Hahn's remarkable technique -- come through in the 27 pieces here . . . Each piece is different, yet they all reflect Hahn's personality because she chose their creators. What I hear reflected is a desire to communicate rather than a desire to showcase technique. Our only response can be to sit back and want to listen to many of these pieces over and over again. It helps that Hahn has found a golden partner in pianist Cory Smythe, who is never far away with a bit of extra sparkle from his grand piano.

Record Review /
John Terauds,
Musical Toronto / 28. November 2013

. . . a great new, two-disc release . . . the culmination of Hahn's remarkable project to boost the repertoire of violin encores. Composers old and young responded with an exceedingly wide range of ideas, producing quite the showcase for Hahn's prodigious technique and musicality. She is partnered on the recording by the excellent pianist Cory Smythe.

Record Review /
Tim Smith,
Baltimore Sun / 01. December 2013

. . . an enterprising and consistently fun two-disc set . . . No fluff, but thoughtful, often introspective and imaginative miniatures that form a panorama of what's being written today.

Hahn was already a well-established virtuoso. This project marks her evolution as something far more interesting: a creative force.

Record Review /
Jeremy Eichler,
Boston Globe / 14. December 2013

Brilliantly performed by Hahn and pianist Cory Smythe, the results are on these two discs -- a grab bag of treasures . . . I'm right now obsessed with Avner Dorman's "Memory Games," a sort of mad, mazelike tango that might have been conceived by Conlon Nancarrow.

What makes this album crucial is . . . what it represents: a star soloist who has grown into a passionate advocate for the music of her time. If only every instrumentalist did projects like this.

Record Review /
Zachary Woolfe,
The New York Times / 20. December 2013

Hahn showcases new composers with deeply musical and often fierce performances of commissioned works, with an equal partner in pianist Cory Smythe. Her finds are diverse but consistently intriguing . . . She provides a compelling sampling of the latest in music around the world, and the new pieces could not be in better hands.

Record Review /
Ronni Reich,
Star Ledger (Newark) / 22. December 2013

Violinist Hilary Hahn's ingenious and open-hearted commissioning program . . . has given rise to one of the most enchanting new discs of the year. The pieces here come from a wondrously eclectic bunch of composers . . . and each of them has taken a different approach to the assignment. So the music is by turns rapturous or aggressive, plain-spoken or intricate, ripely melodic or full of rhythmic bite, and although you might expect such diversity to produce a sort of unfocused impression, the results are wholly delightful. As performed with passion and clarity by Hahn and superb pianist Cory Smythe, each new piece unfolds like a gift-wrapped surprise, bringing its own combination of stylistic premises and musical materials -- and then another one is just a few minutes away, and another, and another. It's as irresistible as a box of artisanal chocolates.

"In 27 Pieces" may represent a broad compass of styles, cultures and epochs, presented by an equally broad group of composers, but it is the ability of Hahn, and her accompanist Cory Smythe to bring out the individualities of each tiny vignette that lifts this disc from helpful reference for small-scale repertoire to satisfyingly cohesive collection of new works. Cohesive not just because each was written for Hahn herself and therefore goes some way towards representing her, but for the fact that she takes the composers' enormous variety of aspects on her playing and performs them as if she were a different player: in each, an actor unrecognisable from her previous role . . . There is certainly challenging music here, but it is satisfying to discover, piece by piece, that the . . . true ingenuity here is to be found in works such as "light moving" by American composer David Lang . . . and in the great beauty of Somei Satoh's "Bifu", and "Mercy" by Max Richter. This apparently niche-repertoire disc may be "specialist" but it is also a valuable investment in the future.

Record Review /
Caroline Gill,
Gramophone (London) / 01. March 2014

There's no doubting Hahn's commitment and technical assurance . . . and she projects the warmth of Valentin Silvestrov and David Del Tredici with as much strength as the extended techniques of Richard Barrett or the Indian-inflected lines of Kala Ramnath. In all this she's partnered expertly by Cory Smythe.

Hilary Hahn plays superbly, and her tone and sweetness in soft passages is unlike anything I've ever heard . . . Mr. Smythe is a solid and reliable accompanist, and he stands out in the louder passages, balancing perfectly with the violin . . . The DGG sound recording and balance are excellent.

Record Review /
Paul Kennedy,
Audiophile Audition / 05. May 2014

Hilary Hahn has performed an invaluable service for concertizing violinists . . . a remarkable variety of concise alternatives . . . to offer at the end of a successful recital. We at home can have the guilty pleasure of consuming a meal comprised only of desserts.